In the glass wool industry, it is conventional to produce glass wool in small sizes of various shapes. Such glass wool is known as blowing wool and is produced by cutting wool in the form of blankets into cubes, etc. of the desired size. These sizes, or particles, are then transported by means of a gaseous stream to a bagger, prior to which the wool particles are separated from the transporting gases by a rotary wool separator.
The rotary wool separator comprises a rotating drum having a foraminous surface, the drum being positioned within a shroud which serves as the discharge from the conduit conducting the wool-gaseous stream mixture. By drawing a vacuum from the inside of the drum, the gas, hereinafter referred to as air, is drawn through the surface of the drum while the wool accumulates on the exterior surface thereof. As the drum continues rotating, the accumulated wool falls, or is blown, from the drum and is bagged.
This system has two disadvantages. The first is that there is a considerable loss of vacuum due to air leakage around the drum, up into the shroud and through that surface of the drum through which the vacuum is drawn.
The second is that a considerable quantity of very fine glass particles is drawn through the foraminous surface of the drum with the air. These particles tend to accumulate and clog the subsequent equipment through which the air is processed for cleaning and represent a considerable loss of glass which, if retained in the bagged wool, would represent further insulation values.
The method and apparatus of this invention is directed to the solution of these problems.